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I warned everyone the cottage cheese recipes might be coming, and they are!
Ever since I discovered a better-for-you cottage cheese brand without fillers or carrageenan (Good Culture, in some grocery stores), our menu includes cottage cheese once again.
This easy one pan breakfast casserole recipe capitalizes on the creaminess of blended cottage cheese to create a protein packed savory breakfast dish my family really enjoys.
A Grain-Free Breakfast Casserole Recipe for a Crowd
It can be hard to find a bread/grain-free breakfast casserole recipe when something besides just eggs is needed to give it that characteristic custardy lightness and body. It turns out cottage cheese (quickly blended with pastured eggs) does the trick quite well.
As with most of my favorite egg recipes, this breakfast casserole is quick to throw together and doesn’t get many dishes dirty (just the blender and one pan).
It’s also endlessly versatile and easy to adapt by changing out the types of cheese or meat or even by adding different veggies. Anytime I have spinach wilting in the fridge or leftover sautéed veggies, I know it’s time for eggs for breakfast. After all, repurposing leftovers is a busy mom’s go-to and a great way to provide variety without breaking the budget.
Because it can be made ahead the night before, this breakfast casserole is ideal for holidays, hosting overnight guests, or feeding a crowd (which is just a weekday at my house!). Or, pour into muffin cups and bake individual mini-egg cups for on the go.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this recipe would freeze well due to the cottage cheese, but if you try it and it works, let me know!
But Is Cheese Really “Healthy”?
We often eat eggs in the morning, but we did avoid dairy while we were healing my son’s dairy allergy and my autoimmune disease. Now we’re all doing well with bringing some dairy (from quality grass-fed sources) into the regular meal rotation.
Now that we can enjoy some dairy, a cheesy breakfast casserole is possible again (something we went without for many years).
I tackle the controversy about whether or not dairy is a healthy food here. My opinion remains that a healthy diet is all about variety and observing how you feel when eating certain foods.
Given our history with dairy I try to offer dairy-optional recipes (as with all of the recipes in my cookbook). Unfortunately I can’t think of a good substitute for cottage cheese in this recipe, as nut milk wouldn’t give the body and creaminess and I generally recommend avoiding soy.
Many egg-based breakfast recipes are easy and delicious without cheese. If you need to avoid dairy, try this vegetable frittata recipe or ham and egg breakfast cups. Both are also easy to whip up, make ahead in quantity, or even freeze!
P.S. Don’t have a good cottage cheese option by you? Take matters into your own hands and make your own with this at-home cheese-making kit. I might give it a try as a “science experiment” with the kids and let you know how I do!
Cheesy Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz cottage cheese
- 6 eggs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (optional)
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 8 oz cheese of choice grated (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9X13 baking dish.
- In a blender or food processor, puree the cottage cheese until smooth.
- Add the eggs, parmesan, garlic powder, and onion powder and pulse until combined.
- Add the bacon and green onions if using and stir by hand to combine.
- Pour into greased 9x13 inch dish and bake for 35-40 minutes or until fork inserted into center comes out clean.
- Top with cheese and return to oven until just melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Do you have a favorite grain-free breakfast casserole recipe? How would you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear!
How many servings will this make?
Needs improvement. The onion and (especially) the garlic are far too overpowering at 1 tsp each. The recipe calls for no salt or pepper, which is unusual, and needed. Also the 9×13 pan the recipe calls for us too large, in my opinion. It makes for a thin, garlicy casserole. I like the cottage cheese in it. Would adjust things if I made it again.
Tried this the other day. Very yummy and I was surprised with the flavor of the cottage cheese. My breakfast casserole uses 1 dozen eggs, ground sausage, and cheese over shredded potatoes. Gonna try to see how it turns out next time using sweet potatoes.
Oh wow!!! I am so excited to see this recipe! I can hardly wait to try it. Thank you so much! I do not have a casserole but I do omelets with veggies, cheese, herbs, spices, etc. Cook veggies or mix in with the beaten eggs.
This looks so good to me. I have a serious weakness for all things savory and breakfasty, especially if they involve cheese and eggs.
Good to see a good cottage cheese is available. Im wondering about the other 2 cheeses….? Do you have recommendations for grass feed parm cheese and any other cheeses u have in the recipe? Thank you.
I get most of our cheese locally when possible and occasionally here.
I was curious how you healed your son’s dairy allergy. I didn’t know it was curable. Do you have a post on it? Thanks for all you do.
I wrote about it a little here: https://wellnessmama.com/128247/gaps-diet/
I make a similar recipe like yours BUT it’s called crustless quiche so easy and quick. I use ham slices instead of bacon and top the quiche with sliced tomatoes. This is good for lunch and supper time.
I make a similar recipe though I don’t blend the eggs and cottage cheese, only whisk them. We make a big batch in muffin cups and they freeze great. It’s healthy and quick!
Hey Mama,
Despite the fact that I personally do not like eggs, and I am a vegan, I was invited to a potluck event just recently, most of the people attending are NOT vegans. I decided to try something I thought they would enjoy and this was a big hit. I even had people coming up to me, asking me about the recipe, so I directed them to your site. Thanks again.
A diet that is heavily favors animal products to the exclusion of at least some grain and similar carbs may be a sign of a person suffering from digestive issues or overall digestive weakness caused probably by the depredations of modern medical treatments (abuse). Unless a person is an aboriginal, we evolved to be able to digest grain, properly prepared. It is not a simple matter of saying that 10,000 or so years of grain eating are dwarfed by the length of pre-grain era. There was a rush of evolution during those 10,000 years. We were meant to consume some heavy carbs in addition to some animal foods. JMO. Thank you for publishing my dissenting view.
My humble opinion is that the grains are not nearly as detrimental to our health as are the things that are done to many grains grown commercially. I can and do eat ancient grains that are sprouted before cooking and are organic but I cannot tolerate regular flour. The genetic modifications made to commercial wheat so it can tolerate chemical baths to suppress weeds or, perhaps something done after harvesting, makes it indigestible to my system. I’m definitely not a scientist, I just know my own body.